Retail

This 7-Eleven location stocks hundreds of craft beers from around the world, and is aiming for 1,000 varieties. (Photo by Natsuko Nakamura)
Food & Beverage

7-Eleven in Japan's Yokohama goes viral as craft beer destination

Untapped demand discovered by ducking convenience-store uniformity norms

29 October 2023
Bicycles loaded with flowers are a popular backdrop for Hanoi tourist photos. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Retail

Hanoi's flower vendors see business bloom in rentals for photo ops

Traditional merchants adapt by serving tourists seeking social media posts

27 October 2023
Vietnam is such a big beer market that swings in demand there can drive the quarterly results of international brewers like Heineken. The country also nurtured homegrown players in recent years. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Food & Beverage

Vietnam's beer brewers get creative as economy loses fizz

Drinkers shift to cheaper lagers as spending woes cloud Asia's No. 3 market

20 October 2023
Suning was caught up in an escalating debt crisis in 2020 after it borrowed heavily to fund an acquisition spree.
Caixin

Cash-strapped Chinese retailer Suning receives another bailout

Part of $685m lifeline comes from state-backed Citic Trust

17 October 2023
Uniqlo is looking to expand further in greater China, which generates around half of the brand's revenue outside Japan. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)
Work

Uniqlo's China stores hike pay by up to 44% amid expansion push

Fast Retailing looks to secure top talent and boost brand image in key market

17 October 2023
Sales at Muji's existing stores in China show that consumers are becoming less willing to spend.
Retail

Japan's Muji operator flags China uncertainty as net profit falls

Ryohin Keikaku says Chinese consumption is 'dynamically changing'

13 October 2023
ASICS outlets are spreading as the Japanese athletic shoe maker sees great promise in India and Indonesia due to growing affluence and health consciousness. (Photo by Nana Shibata)
Consumer

Japan's ASICS on fast track in post-COVID Indonesia and India

Running shoe brand lured by rising incomes, population growth in both countries

13 October 2023
A Uniqlo store in Shanghai: Fast Retailing, owner of the Uniqlo brand, recorded a record operating profit, thanks to stronger China sales. (Photo by Tomoko Wakasugi)
Retail

Uniqlo parent expects 4th net profit record in row on China sales

Japanese casualwear retailer captures post-COVID and heat wave-related demand

12 October 2023
Uniqlo's used clothing is washed and redyed before being sold. (Photo by Daiki Hiraoka)
Retail

Uniqlo draws thrifters in Harajuku with 1st pop-up for used clothes

Casualwear brand ramps up sustainability push to woo eco-conscious customers

12 October 2023
Aeon President Akio Yoshida was upbeat regarding sales of private brand products, saying sales “have been growing very steadily.” (Photo by Yutaka Miyaguchi)
Retail

Japanese retailer Aeon earns record profit amid inflation

ASEAN business struggles with economic slowdowns in Malaysia and Vietnam

11 October 2023
New Nitori stores in markets such as Taiwan have enjoyed a steady flow of business right from their opening. (Photo by Yukihiro Omoto)
Retail

Japan's Nitori takes on Ikea in Asia with new Thailand, Vietnam stores

Retailer expands in China and Southeast Asia as domestic sales slow

11 October 2023
National Day fireworks returned to Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for the first time in five years Oct. 1 attracting some 430,000 spectators, including many mainlanders.
Travel & Leisure

China mainland tourists in Hong Kong skip shopping for experiences

Visits to museums and theaters replace tour buses to shops

11 October 2023
ICICI Venture is in talks to invest in Indian traditional fashion company Libas, which is pushing to expand. (NIKKEI montage/Logos from ICICI Venture and Libas websites)
DealStreetAsia

India's ICICI Venture in talks to invest in fashion company Libas

Traditional clothing brand eyes expansion for South Asian nation's festive season

9 October 2023
Japanese retailers and restaurants have been busy promoting domestically caught scallops after China imposed a blanket ban on seafood imports from Japan. (Photo by Ryo Asayama)
Retail

Shunned by China, Japanese scallops to reach Thailand, Malaysia

Don Quijote parent aims to find new customers amid Fukushima row with Beijing

8 October 2023
Central Group aims to open dozens of GO Wholesale stores in Thailand. (Image courtesy of Central Food Wholesales) 
Retail

Thailand's Central starts warehouse store battle with rival CP

Retail king expands into new territory to defend its crown

7 October 2023
By the time Zensho's expansion is complete, it will have twice as many restaurants overseas as in its home market of Japan.
Food & Beverage

Japan restaurant group Zensho aims at 10,000 outlets overseas

Owner of Sukiya, AFC, Snowfox eyes U.S., Mexico and Brazil

6 October 2023
Beauty blogger Austin Li Jiaqi applies makeup while livestreaming on the e-commerce platform Taobao. The influencer, nicknamed China's "Lipstick King," sparked a backlash from some of his followers when he snapped at one of them in September.
Business Spotlight

China's 'Lipstick King' leaves Alibaba with a livestreaming dilemma

Live-selling influencer's outburst highlights perils of relying on stars

6 October 2023
Uniqlo's Mumbai store was is the brand's 11th in India. (Photo by Ryosuke Hanada)
Retail

Uniqlo opens first Mumbai store in growing India push

Japanese brand takes aim at globe-trotters in financial hub

6 October 2023
Founded in 2019, Ula backed by prominent venture capital investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital India and B Capital Group. (Screenshot from Ula's website)
DealStreetAsia

Indonesian startup Ula pauses operations for several months

Business-to-business marketplace confirms fresh layoffs

5 October 2023
A woman sells clothing live on a social media platform inside her stall at a mall in Jakarta.
Politics

Indonesia's ban on social media e-commerce worries sellers

TikTok to halt transactions, potentially benefiting rivals Shopee, Tokopedia

4 October 2023
Tourists arrive at Narita Airport near Tokyo as China's National Day holiday season begins. (Photo by Mayumi Tsumita)
Retail

Japan's retail sector gears up for China's holiday season

Muji renovates flagship store while Don Quijote expands tax exemption counter

30 September 2023
Big C's expansion into Hong Kong is its first step beyond Southeast Asia, where the company has over 2,000 outlets. (Photo by Kenji Kawase)
Retail

Thai supermarket chain Big C expands into Hong Kong

Eyeing 'gateway' to mainland China as it seeks potential listing

26 September 2023
South Korea's Lotte has opened its new mall complex at West Lake Hanoi, offering retail, cinema and an aquarium. (Photo by Yuji Nitta)
Retail

South Korea's Lotte opens Hanoi mall in Vietnam investment drive

Conglomerate turns focus to Southeast Asia nation after China debacle

22 September 2023
In the Asia-Pacific region, TikTok has been downloaded about two billion times, while Snapchat's numbers are about half that. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Reuters and EPA/Jiji)
Technology

TikTok's rise in ASEAN spells trouble for U.S. rival Snapchat

American short-video app's parent works to stay relevant in region with social commerce

22 September 2023
Nitori's first Hong Kong store will offer items suitable for the city's cramped apartments. (Photo by Kensaku Ihara)
Retail

Japan furniture retailer Nitori plans 20 Hong Kong outlets by 2032

China's housing recession 'opportunity' for expansion, exec says

22 September 2023